Real Rating: 4.8* of five

The Publisher Says: Why did they come?

When they appeared across the sky, speculation wheeled around the world—the aliens were from heaven, the invaders were from hell… or they were proof that neither existed. But when they landed, curiosity gave way to suspicion and the nations reacted with nuclear force, setting off a chain reaction that left the world in ruins.

Twenty years later, instead of nearing her retirement, Dr. Elspeth Darrow struggles to forget the loss of her child and husband by plunging herself into the work of operating the last remaining hospital in San Francisco. With medical supplies running out and working herself to exhaustion, Elspeth must embark on a risky salvage mission into the heart of the Neo California danger zone. Here, she discovers the disturbing truth: the aliens have returned.

As the mystery of the aliens' purpose on Earth unravels before her, Elspeth must hide what she discovers from reactionary despots, all vying to bring Neo California under their control. Aided by a band of pre-war scientists and new-world medical students, Elspeth races against astronomical odds to reveal the terrifying truth that might save the world—or finally destroy it for good.

I CHECKED THIS BOOK OUT FROM PRIME BECAUSE OF THAT BASTARD BRYCE. USE THEM OFTEN, THEY PAY AUTHORS FOR OUR USE.

My Review: End-of-the-world stories don't work because the author just uses them as a backdrop, instead of setting a story that really can't be told another way in that milieu. That was what happened between me and The Road. This always gives me the eyeroll disease, the one where I see my brain from rolling them away from Mad Max-level violence and artificially amped fridging stakes.

Saint Elspeth doesn't do that. Elspeth's character doesn't change...she was always basically a good (if cynical) person, always motivated to do the right thing...and the world around her does change though not the ways one would wish them to. So, a lot like Life, I'm sure you'll agree.

Setting the story at a time of great change and making Elspeth the solid referent not Humanity's scumbaggery shifts this from "how many End-of-Everything stories do we really need?" to "we really need more people like this to shine their light" without making the entire enterprise cloyingly sweet. It's down to the way the story is made: the setting doesn't alter her; she unfolds into the new world, becoming more herself and offering more and more of the genuine help and healing she's always given instead of being forced to find them in the awful new world.

I'm making this sound terrible. It isn't. I give it almost five stars because I was involved and excited by the action, and invested in the main character, all the way through. I finished the book about an hour ago and am contemplating a re-read already. I even followed the author. I never follow authors.

It's really good stuff. Read it soon...2024 is pretty damn dystopian, one needs an antidote. Here's one that takes you into the dark corners, pulls your heartstrings, and then allows you to believe that a decent if flawed person with a good heart *can* make a positive difference. ( )

Saint Elspeth is the first book by Wick Welker I've read and though some parts read a bit slow overall it was a very entertaining book. The story takes place about 20 years after the world nearly destroys itself by attempting to kill what looks to be an alien invasion though, no alien actually attacked anyone. Our main character Elspeth Darrow was a pathologist when she entered the bunkers more than twenty years ago, after emerging from the bunkers she has taken on the roll of medical doctor off of training she learned via books and video recordings.
When the body of one of the little known aliens is discovered on a salvage trip, Elspeth goes back to her pathology roots in an attempt to discover what makes these aliens tick. When she and her colleagues start having the same vision about the Hilman...(the aliens) she discovers that maybe it's not just human life she was meant to save.
The story was pretty well paced and the characters were well developed. Overall a good read for those looking for an end of the world survival type story based on an alien invasion. ( )

Saint Elspeth by Wick Welker

Intriguing, intellectually stimulating, immersive look at what an apocalyptic world might be like. It is heavy on medical terminology and scenes as it should be since the main character is a pathologist that has had to learn new fields of medicine on the fly as she adapted and adjusted to her new situation. Her job used to be in a lab that was quiet, controlled with regular hours – twenty years on she has become a general practitioner doing her best to heal and save all she can no matter what the situation might be. She is the only trained physician in what was once San Francisco and the world she once knew is long gone.

As a retired RN, this book was much easier for me to relate to and read than the last book I read that had more to do with military equipment, terminology, and strategies. There were politics, greed, power struggles, thievery, gamesmanship, and other similarities in both books – rather surprisingly.

The plot was tight and well crafted. The characters were well developed and easy to visualize and understand. The cause of the demise of civilization was intriguing as were the theories on why the aliens arrived and what their true purpose was. I enjoyed the depth of thought that went into creating the world this book takes place in and enjoyed the fact that it managed to engage all of my senses. This story made me care, made me think, and gave me much to ponder. My reading experienced was enhanced by knowing the locations mentioned in the book as I grew up in California.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Demodocus Publishing LLC for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars ( )